Overnight Cremation Operator & Decedent Care Specialist
Full-Time | Monday–Friday | 7:00 PM–5:00 AM
At Minnesota Cremation Services, we believe the way someone is cared for after death matters deeply.
Every person entrusted to us is someone's husband, wife, mom, dad, son, daughter, sibling, grandparent, or friend. Families trust us with someone incredibly important to them, and we take that responsibility seriously.
We are looking for an Overnight Cremation Operator & Care Specialist to join our rapidly growing team.
This role is responsible for overnight crematory operations, decedent care, identification, chain of custody, compliance, facility readiness, and assisting with transfers when someone needs to be brought into our care.
We are looking for someone who is meticulous, dependable, compassionate, physically capable, and deeply committed to safety.
Someone who takes pride in doing things correctly.
Someone who notices when something is out of place.
Schedule
Regular Schedule
Monday through Friday
7:00 PM–5:00 AM
First Two - Three Weeks of Training
Your first two weeks will take place Monday through Friday during daytime hours.
You will train alongside our daytime team and learn:
- Crematory operations
- Cremation equipment
- Identification procedures
- Chain of custody
- Cremation authorizations
- Compliance requirements
- Documentation
- Decedent care
- Transfer procedures
- Safety protocols
- Cremated remains processing
- Facility standards
- Our internal systems and expectations
After the first two weeks, you will transition to the regular overnight schedule.
What the Overnight Shift Looks Like
Crematory work has a natural rhythm.
There will be times when you are actively preparing for a cremation, operating equipment, processing cremated remains, moving individuals in our care, cleaning, completing documentation, or responding to a transfer.
There will also be quieter periods while equipment is operating and your immediate responsibilities are complete.
During that time, we expect you to stay attentive to the operation while taking care of things that keep our crematory running well, including:
- Restocking supplies
- Cleaning and organizing
- Preparing for upcoming cremations
- Completing documentation
- Checking inventory
- Inspecting equipment and work areas
- Preparing transfer equipment
- Keeping vehicles ready
And sometimes, everything may simply be caught up.
We understand that.
This is an overnight position, and we are not interested in creating meaningless busywork.
When your responsibilities are complete and operations are running normally, there may be time to read, study, watch something, relax, or rest in a designated area.
The expectation is simple:
The work comes first, the crematory remains monitored, and you must remain onsite and ready to respond when needed.
A quiet night can change quickly.
A transfer may come in. Equipment may need attention. A cremation may need to be processed. Someone may need to be brought into our care.
We are looking for someone mature enough to manage that independence responsibly.
Crematory Operations
Responsibilities include:
- Safely operating cremation equipment
- Preparing individuals for cremation
- Verifying identity before every cremation
- Confirming required authorizations and documentation
- Following established cremation procedures
- Monitoring equipment during operation
- Completing cremation and equipment logs
- Processing cremated remains
- Preparing cremated remains for final placement
- Maintaining identification throughout the process
- Cleaning cremation and processing equipment
- Performing routine inspections
- Reporting maintenance or safety concerns
- Maintaining a clean, organized crematory
Identification, Compliance & Chain of Custody
This is one of the most important parts of the role.
Every person entrusted to Minnesota Cremation Services must remain correctly identified and accounted for at all times.
You will be responsible for:
- Verifying identification when someone enters our care
- Maintaining identification throughout refrigeration and crematory operations
- Confirming identity immediately before cremation
- Confirming required authorization before proceeding
- Matching documentation to the correct individual
- Maintaining accurate chain-of-custody records
- Completing cremation logs and required documentation
- Recording required information accurately
- Maintaining physical and electronic records
- Protecting confidential information
- Following company procedures and applicable requirements
- Immediately reporting discrepancies
- Stopping a process when something does not match
If a name does not match, you stop.
If paperwork is missing, you stop.
If authorization is unclear, you stop.
If something simply does not look right, you stop and verify.
We want someone who would rather ask a question than make an assumption.
Decedent Care
We take decedent care extremely seriously.
Every person in our care should be treated as though their family were standing beside us.
That means:
- Moving individuals carefully
- Maintaining privacy and dignity
- Keeping individuals appropriately covered
- Using respectful language
- Maintaining cleanliness
- Protecting identification
- Keeping refrigeration and care areas organized
- Never becoming casual about handling
- Never rushing because it is late
- Never treating someone like a task to get through
You will work around death every day.
You may care for individuals who have died under difficult circumstances or whose physical condition has changed after death.
You must be able to remain composed, professional, and respectful.
Transfers Into Our Care
This position will also assist with overnight transfers.
You may respond to:
- Private residences
- Hospitals
- Hospice locations
- Nursing homes
- Assisted-living communities
- Medical examiner offices
- Other healthcare facilities
You may be meeting a family shortly after someone they love has died.
That interaction matters.
You will be expected to:
- Safely transfer deceased individuals
- Verify identification at the place of removal
- Maintain chain of custody
- Complete required documentation
- Communicate professionally with families and facility staff
- Load and unload transfer vehicles safely
- Use transfer equipment correctly
- Bring individuals into our care respectfully
- Communicate important information back to the team
Safety Is Non-Negotiable
We want someone who thinks about safety before something goes wrong.
Crematory operations involve heat, machinery, industrial equipment, heavy materials, and other hazards.
Transfers involve lifting, driving, stairs, tight spaces, weather, and unpredictable environments.
We want someone who naturally asks:
- Is this safe?
- Am I following the correct procedure?
- Is the identification correct?
- Is the authorization complete?
- Is the equipment operating properly?
- Do I need help?
- Is there a safer way to do this?
There are no shortcuts when it comes to safety, identification, documentation, or cremation procedures.
Physical Requirements
This is a physically active position.
You must be comfortable with:
- Lifting and assisting with substantial weight
- Pushing and pulling loaded transfer equipment
- Moving deceased individuals safely
- Bending, kneeling, reaching, and standing for extended periods
- Loading and unloading vehicles
- Maneuvering stretchers and equipment
- Navigating stairs
- Working in narrow hallways
- Working in small rooms and confined spaces
- Moving around furniture and obstacles
- Working on uneven surfaces
- Working in varying weather conditions
- Working around warm crematory equipment
Not every transfer happens in an ideal environment.
You may encounter narrow staircases, small bedrooms, apartment buildings, difficult entrances, or icy walkways.
Physical strength matters.
Good judgment matters just as much.
Knowing when to ask for help is part of doing this job well.
Who We're Looking For
We can train someone on equipment and procedures.
What matters most is your mindset.
We are looking for someone who is:
- Compassionate
- Safety-focused
- Extremely detail-oriented
- Dependable
- Calm under pressure
- Respectful of deceased individuals
- Committed to compliance
- Comfortable following procedures exactly
- Willing to stop when something does not look right
- Physically capable
- Clean and organized
- Comfortable working independently
- A strong communicator
- Professional with families
- Comfortable around deceased individuals
- Comfortable operating equipment
- A safe and responsible driver
- Someone who takes ownership
You should be the kind of person who checks something twice.
The kind of person who notices when something is out of place.
The kind of person who takes pride in doing things correctly even when no one is watching.
Experience
Previous experience in funeral service, crematory operations, healthcare, EMS, manufacturing, equipment operation, maintenance, warehouse operations, first response, patient transport, or another safety-sensitive environment may be helpful.
Crematory experience is a plus, but it is not required.
We are willing to train the right person.
Being Part of Minnesota Cremation Services
Minnesota Cremation Services is growing rapidly.
We are building a company centered around dignity, transparency, communication, safety, compliance, and exceptional care.
We want:
- Strong systems
- Clean facilities
- Excellent records
- Safe equipment
- Accurate identification
- Reliable processes
- A team that takes pride in doing things correctly
We are looking for someone who wants to grow with us.
Someone who speaks up when something could be improved.
Someone who does not walk past a problem assuming someone else will handle it.
Someone who understands that much of this work happens behind the scenes, but that does not make it any less important.
Why This Work Matters
A family may never see most of what you do.
They may never see you verify identification.
They may never watch you complete a cremation log.
They may never know you stopped because something did not match.
They may never see you clean the equipment or organize the care area.
They may never see how carefully you treated their loved one.
But those things matter.
Those details are the job.
The care you provide when no one is watching is what defines the standard.
If you are someone who takes safety, compliance, identification, and decedent care seriously and wants to be part of a rapidly growing company doing meaningful work, we would love to meet you.
Requirements
- Ability to complete the first two weeks of training Monday through Friday during daytime hours
- Ability to work Monday through Friday from 7:00 PM–5:00 AM after training
- Valid driver's license
- Safe driving record
- Ability to perform the physical requirements of the position
- Ability to lift, push, pull, and maneuver significant weight and transfer equipment
- Comfortable working directly with deceased individuals
- Comfortable operating industrial equipment
- Strong attention to detail
- Ability to follow detailed compliance, identification, and safety procedures
- Ability to maintain accurate documentation
- Ability to work independently
- Ability to communicate professionally
- Comfortable entering private homes and healthcare facilities
- Comfortable using computers, smartphones, and company software
- Authorization to work in the United States
Pay: From $48,000.00 per year
Application Question(s):
- Are you able to complete the first two weeks of training Monday through Friday during daytime hours?
After training, are you able to consistently work Monday through Friday from 7:00 PM–5:00 AM?
- Are you physically capable of lifting, pushing, pulling, and maneuvering significant weight and transfer equipment?
- Are you comfortable navigating stairs, narrow hallways, small rooms, and other physically challenging transfer environments?
- Are you comfortable operating industrial equipment and working around heat and machinery?
- This role may include quieter periods during cremation cycles, followed by periods where you need to respond immediately to a transfer or other responsibility. Are you comfortable with that type of work environment?
- Are you authorized to work in the United States?
Work Location: In person
